By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-16 11:11:33 | Updated at 2024-12-16 13:33:02
2 hours ago
Democratic senators are not giving up on opposition to some of Donald Trump's picks for his second administration – but they have little power to prevent them from taking their new posts.
After the 2024 elections the Senate flipped red with 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats.
Cabinet confirmations only require a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning as long as Republicans ban together, Trump should have no issue putting together his team in the new year.
The three most controversial invidious so far for Democrats are the president-elect's picks to lead the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth; FBI, Kash Patel; and to become his Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard.
But there are no signs so far that any Republicans in the upper chamber share the concerns Democrats have expressed.
Hegseth specifically came to the center of discussion after Trump's favorite for Attorney General, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, took his name out of consideration when even Republicans were concerned over misconduct and claims of sexual assault.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told CNN reporter Many Raju that it's not right to even consider Hegseth considering the multiple reports that have come out about him.
Those include claims that Hegseth frequently got drunk at work and that women have outstanding sexual harassment claims against him.
Democratic lawmakers are still concerned with Donald Trump's picks to round out his Cabinet and White House team in the New Year, though they will have little power to influence it
The most controversial pick is Pete Hegseth, who Donald Trump intends to nominate to lead the Department of Defense
'We should not be talking about confirming people who have credibly been accused of rape, who have outstanding non-disclosure agreements that women can't talk about it, who have led workplaces that have had significant problems and accusations of sexual harassment to lead one of the biggest departments in out government,' the progressive senator said.
Meanwhile, Sen.-elect Adam Schiff spoke out against Gabbard and Patel on Sunday.
The current representative in the House for California said that Patel's only credentials to become FBI Director is his loyalty and 'blind obedience' to Trump.
'The president can find other people who are loyal to him and to his interests, but who are also loyal to the rule of law,' he told ABC News This Week host George Stephanopoulos.
He added: 'Patel is not one of them.'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also said Patel is problematic.
Speaking with CBS Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan on Sunday, the senator said she worried he's on a 'revenge mission' when he should be on a 'national security safety mission.'
Democrats are also pushing back against Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel (left), and who he plans to be the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard (right)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren pointed to the claims of sexual harassment and rape against Pete Hegseth
'He says he wants to dismantle the FBI headquarters and turn it into a museum,' she added. 'To me, this is not the direction we need to go.'
When it comes to Gabbard, Schiff also has 'concerns.'
'The first is a complete lack of experience, never worked in an intelligence agency, never even served on the intelligence committee,' he said of the former Hawaii congresswoman, who switched from Democrat to Republican affiliation.
Schiff is one of the members of Congress most frequently attacked by Trump.
The president-elect calls the California lawmaker 'pencil neck' and 'watermelon head.'
